In the field of aeronautic and aerospace technology, for example for the construction of aircraft, hollow structural components are used because they offer a high strength-to-weight ratio. Typically, such a hollow structural component is at least partially stiffened or strengthened with a honeycomb core material, for example. The fabrication and the further processing of such hollow structural components with honeycomb cores, are, however, very complicated technologically and very costly in terms of time and money. It is a further disadvantage that such a honeycomb core stiffening or strengthening the hollow structural component can be irreparably damaged or weakened through the fatiguing influence of continuous vibrations or corrosion over time during the operating life of the aircraft or the like. Thus, the strengthening or stiffening function provided by the honeycomb core can be diminished or even essentially negated over time.
Typically in this field, various assemblies or component groups are fabricated by riveting together individual parts. Disadvantageously, this manner of connecting the individual parts by rivets leads to a very great effort and cost of the assembly process and also leads to a substantial increase in the total weight of the assembled component due to the many individual fastening elements (e.g. rivets), surfacially applied sealant materials, and planar overlapping regions of material sheets to form the overlapped riveted joints.